


Mentem

by mthrfluffer



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst?, Fluff, Happy Ending, Jumnyeon Centric, M/M, Post-Break Up, SeHo - Freeform, also open ending so who knows, hunho - Freeform, i changed yeon seok surname for the sake of the plot, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23729215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mthrfluffer/pseuds/mthrfluffer
Summary: Junmyeon never imagined he would see him again.He didn't think it would be like this.Sehun has changed, but why?What's inside that mind of his?
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Mentem

It was there, all over the news. 

_ “OhTwo Technology headquarters were burned to the ground. After a month of an ongoing strike, the headquarters that once belonged to the most influential technology company held a fire that whipped the set of buildings” _

It has been a while since I allowed myself to remember.

_ “In his press conference, son of the recently deceased CEO, Oh Yeon-Seok said: ‘The work of my father has been destroyed and I could not feel worse because of it. Unfortunately, the company was not in a good place and will never be able to recover this loss.’” _

Was his father’s company the reason he left me?

_ “And just the day after, OhTwo Technology’s financial statements were released to the public, revealing what for many weeks were mere rumors: the company was going bankrupt.” _

Was it worth it?

_ “In further interviews, reporters asked for the youngest son’s whereabouts, without getting clear answers.” _

His name was there. After almost a decade of not knowing anything about him.

_ “The reasons to the low-profile of Oh Sehun will remain a mystery.” _

A mystery. That was one way to put it. From the moment we met, Oh Sehun had this way of calling me without doing anything. With just a look or a small smile or a quirk of his eyebrow, he had me. He still has me after all this time. It was ridiculous, almost pathetic the way I could never stop loving him despite the pain he put me through.

“You are an idiot” Chanyeol would say, hitting the back of my head every time I would get teary eyes thinking about my lost love. 

“Stop it, Park Chanyeol, he is hurting.” Baekhyun chipping in, giving him a hard look.

“Yeah, I know. He is been like this for years, Baek. That is _why_ he is an idiot.” And they would keep bickering about my love life for hours non-stop like a married couple. The nice thing being that they are an actual married couple. I smiled at the memory of their antics, remembering suddenly we were supposed to meet for dinner.

I checked the time and realized I was running just a bit late, the restaurant being at a ten-minute walk. It was getting warmer since winter was on its last days and the blooming flowers of Seoul were introducing the new season. I took my jacket anyway, wallet and keys safely kept in one of the pockets. 

I knew I would get there in time, not hurrying my steps as something was still at the back of my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about the news. When he disappeared, I look for him everywhere: our school, his part-time job, his brother’s apartment, but I hit a dead-end after another. I became frustrated, not only with him for leaving me, but with myself too for my incapability of getting answers. 

So, I stopped. The frustration slowly leaving space to my mourning, memories of our relationship playing behind my eyelids when I tried to sleep, the empty right side of my bed burning with its coldness. I could still remember his silhouette perfectly: his black hair pushed back when he got out of the shower, dripping water everywhere, the obvious heart shape his lips formed when looking at them from the side, his collarbone glimmering thanks to the thin layer of sweat, every time we managed to love each other. His laugh, his hands, his voice… 

His voice that I just heard. Was he here? I snapped my neck trying to find him, big part of my brain telling me I was finally completely crazy, imagining things. 

But no, I wasn’t wrong. Oh Sehun was walking towards the square in front of the mall and the shape of his back, although larger than the last time I saw him, was still recognizable for me. I slowly found my pace, legs dragging me and pulling me to him. His name was rasping at the back of my throat, years of pain scaring me enough to not call him. He was walking with his hands inside his pockets, he crossed the street looking at both sides and in that moment all doubts went away: it was him, I was sure. 

The fear that was paralyzing seconds ago became an impulse and I started running, now afraid of losing him in the crowd. He stopped and I did too, after all these years he was finally at my reach. I touched his shoulder lightly, making him turn. He took off his headphones and looked at me patiently, a knot in my stomach forming. 

“Sehun? Is that... Is that really you?” I whispered, the world forgotten around us. His eyes sparked with curiosity, but he didn’t answer. “I thought... I thought... You disappeared. Where did you...?” my voice cracked, memories fogging my vision. My hand was still on his shoulder, my grasp almost violent on his coat but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he said:

“I'm sorry, have we met before?”  _ What? _

“What are you saying?” I took a step back, retrieving my hand and looking at him carefully. He was different. He aged, of course, but that wasn’t it. He didn’t look like the cold and proud boy I knew. There was softness in his expression and the innocence he only showed me was all over him. My heart skipped a beat. He was so beautiful and I was so deeply in love.

My sudden realization was interrupted when I saw movement from the corner of my eye. A man was walking toward us and he was my opportunity of getting answers.

“Sehun, go wait at the restaurant.” The man commanded, patting the back of his little brother with affection. Sehun nodded, not saying anything, but smiling at me before walking away.

“Yeon-Seok.” I said when his brother was out of sight. “What was that?” I noticed how my voice was rougher now, anger staining my normally good mood.

“Calm down, Suho.” He mumbled and I had to flinch at the nickname he gave me years ago. He was uncomfortable, looking everywhere but me, fidgeting with his feet. And I was impatient.

“He disappeared and now he claims he doesn’t know me? What kind of sick prank…?” 

“Father found out about you.” Yeon-Seok spat out and almost everything made sense. “He found out about your plans of running away, of having the perfect life together.”

“But that didn't happen. He left me.” The man in front of me moved his head left to right, disapproving what I said. 

“It wasn't his fault.” He whispered, voice shaking. “Sehunnie... He fought with all his strength. He called for you until the last moment. He did.” There was guilt in the way he talked.

A cold shiver went down my spine as my brain brought to light an old conversation. Sehun was telling me how dangerous working for his father’s company was after I joked about applying for a job there. He didn’t laugh. He said that there were dark secrets in there, that he wanted to get out as soon as he could. For the way his expression darkened I knew that asking him would expose us to unnecessary danger, I kept quiet and we never mention it again.

Yeon-Seok was watching me while assessing my reaction. He must have seen the fury before I felt it.

“What did those monsters do to him?” his face went blank, for the first time he hesitated on answering me, but my resolution would be stronger if needed.

“They erased you from his memory.” he breathed. “He has no recollection of knowing you.”  _ No. _

“They did what?” it couldn’t be true, it was impossible. Were those the secrets Sehun warned me about? Did they torture him until he became the version of himself I just met? A version where he no longer knew me? It didn't make any sense but I at the same time relief washed over me, knowing Sehun didn't left me willingly.

“I tried to stop them but I couldn't.” Yeon-Seok confession brought me to focus and I could see how he was feeling. There was that guilt again, and I couldn’t stop myself from placing a comforting hand on his arm. “And it took me almost a decade to free him.” A malicious laugh ending that statement, making my curiosity peak.

“What do you mean?”

“The strike.” He answered rubbing a hand over his face, suddenly very aware of our surroundings. “I’m sure you heard about it. That was me. With the help of more people we managed to take the company down. It went bankrupt and I burned everything to pieces, as a personal vendetta.” He smiled, and I felt a weight I didn’t know I had off my shoulders. “We are finally free.”

Free? 

I looked into Yeon-Seok’s eyes. There was no deception in them and maybe the mystery of Sehun’s low-profile was no mystery at all: his brother took care of him. 

“We came back as soon as we could. He doesn’t know exactly why but I wanted to find you.” He mentioned.

“Why?” 

“I don’t know if the procedure they did on him is reversible, I thought seeing you might trigger something.”

“Well, he didn’t recognize me…”

“But he smiled.” He announced triumphantly. “Come with me. I’ll introduce you.” He added, smiling at my panicked face and the way my shoulders stiffened. He started walking in the same direction Sehun took, glancing at me every two steps. “You guys need to make up for the, um, what was it? Almost nine years apart?”

“But he doesn’t know me, Yeon-Seok. And I don’t know this version of him!”

“And yet, I saw your face before I interrupted, you love him.” A blush creeped up my face immediately.

“Of course.” for the man in front of me, there was nothing more to say.

“Then come. He is different I’m not denying that, but he is Sehun.” Yeon-Seok kept walking towards a restaurant, thankfully not the one with my two best friends. I checked my phone and I had three missing calls. I texted a quick apology to Baekhyun and followed Sehun’s brother.

The place was full. There was no way I could confront my feelings in front of this many people. I was expecting we would look for Sehun in one of the tables but Yeon-Seok grabbed my wrist and took me to the second floor.  _ Oh, this makes more sense.  _ The second floor had less tables and less people. I spotted Sehun right away. He was still listening to music with the same soft expression I saw earlier. 

My hands started to sweat and questions started to pop-up like heavy rain. What if this doesn’t work? What if we don’t like each other anymore? Do I love him or do I love the memory I have from him? Will he remember me eventually or do I have to make him fall in love with me all over again? Will he recognize me at all? Will I give up? Will we have our happy ending? Yeon-Seok interrupted my sudden crisis:

“Sehun?” he looked up at the mention of his name and when he saw me standing next to his brother, he smiled even brighter than before. “I want you to meet someone. He is an old friend.” He stood up and shook my hand, memories drowning me for a moment.

“Mine?” he asked, and the effect his voice had in me was what I expected. It was deeper, smoother and familiar, the warm feeling that started to grow inside my chest solving the doubts that flooded my mind seconds ago. By my side, Yeon-Seok nodded, pushing me lightly to the table.

“I have to talk to the chef,” he added “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Silence fell like a rock. Sehun motioned for me to sit and I was capable of doing so. I couldn’t believe he was here. 

“Well, this is awkward.” I whispered, hoping to lighten the mood. He chuckled.

“Is it?” I looked at him again, rising my right eyebrow when he shrugged. “I want to say something but it might sound odd, so bear with me, okay?” he said, breaking eye contact.

“Of course.” I agreed, sitting straight.

“I know what my parents did to me.” He started. “I know they  _ performed certain procedure _ so I couldn’t remember  _ something _ . I know they took that something away from me.” His voice was strained but there was no pain. “Everything was blurry, you now? Even after almost nine years the world I’m living is coated as an illusion.” He stared at me, locking his eyes with mine. “Nothing too real. Nothing too solid. I have never had any clue of what they erased or the reason to do it and this is going to sound weird for you, but now…” he stopped, and my breathing stopped with him. “I see you.”

He took my hand in his. He was cold, or maybe I was, or maybe both. I tried to smile, but my nerves got in the way. He didn’t seem to care.

“I don’t know your name. I don’t know where or when we met and I don’t know our history. But I see you clearly, the blurriness has disappeared.” After taking a deep breath he continued: “You say this is awkward. For me, with you in front of me, it feels right.”

He wasn’t lying nor faking it. He had raw emotion in his eyes, waiting for me to do something. I smiled, genuinely this time and as a response he intertwined his fingers with mine.

“They could never get you out of my mind.” Sehun whispered, the promise of a happy ending lingering in the air.

**Author's Note:**

> hello! hope you liked that c: the plot is a bit weird, but i had to indulge myself and write it.  
> this is my first time writing seho, my first time publishing in this plataform and my first time publishing something in english, so i hope i did good.  
> if you have any comment or constructive criticism, let me know  
> (also, i believe i do need help with the additional tags, if you have tips i would like to know c:)  
> see you soon.


End file.
